So, a week or so after I was sealed to my parents, I had to undergo surgery.
What happened was that the week before the sealing, I started feeling sick. I had bad chest pains and was scared. But I was able to make them subside with medication, and the issue was under control...NOT!
A few days later, and a few days before the sealing, I woke up at 3 am, in severe pain, accompanied with some vomiting. That in itself scared the daylights out of me! One knew it was really bad when I couldn't watch my favorite show on demand, and ended up having to call in sick to work. I later called my health insurance provider and they recommended that I go to an urgent care facility, because it sounded like I was in a great deal of pain. I called my friend, Trish, and she took me to Insta-Care in Murray. Blood tests, EKG, chest x-ray all pointed to an ulcer at first, but the blood tests came back after I was released from Insta-Care showing that I had pancreatitis. Basically, it meant that my pancreatic enzyme levels, as well as my liver enzyme levels, were dangerously high. This can be caused by a gall bladder stone that can be blocking to the bile duct (ewwww!). The recommended treatment: surgery to remove the gall bladder to keep it from happening again. This was discovered when I had to go to Intermountain Salt Lake Clinic for an ultrasound. When the surgeon met with me later, he told me that it was serious, and could kill me if we weren't careful. So he had me take another blood test to see if my enzyme levels were back down. If not, I was going to have to be in the hospital that night. Thankfully, because of the priesthood blessing I'd been given the night before, blood tests showed that the levels were going back down. And then, I learned that my surgery was having a change of venue. It was because IMC wasn't in my insurance provider's network. As a result, I was referred to Salt Lake Regional Medical Center and had another surgical consult, as well as more blood drawn (I swear the hospitals are filled with vampires!!!!). But the tests came back with my enzyme levels back down to normal, so until that day, I was forced on a liquid diet. Couldn't stand it!
But once I was off the liquid diet, I was able to celebrate my sealing with two dinner outings. The first was that night; the second was a couple of days later, with a guy buddy that I care for deeply (and that's all I will say).
The day before the surgery, guy buddy and another one of my friends gave me a priesthood blessing to help me cope with the stress of the surgery and the strain it would have on my body. I was told in the blessing to be patient during my recovery. I suspect the Spirit told my friend that I had a tendency to do too much too fast during my recovery from illnesses in the past.
The day of, I went to the hospital with one of my Relief Society sisters and she and our RS president waited with me until it was time for me to go to the OR. They saw me all decked out in my gown, sockies, and surgical cap to protect my hair. I was wheeled away to the OR, had a mask put over my nose and mouth, felt a burning sensation, via the IV drip, and I floated away...
I woke up a little while later in recovery, with Lindsey, the RS president still with me. She stayed until I was released since it was an outpatient procedure. She then took me home, made sure I was fed and medicated before putting me to bed, and then she was texting friends and family, including the friend who'd given the blessing the day before, letting him know that I'd call him the following day, which I did.
The week of recovery was pretty uneventful. I was in a bit of pain and discomfort, and tried to keep up with my class, and did quite well, thank you! Something else happened during my recovery. I developed feelings for a man, the first man I've had feelings for since the abusive relationship. Sadly, for me, he just wants friendship. I still hold out a bit of hope and will continue to do so for a time.
Slan go foill...
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